All nominees were eligible for all scholarships. Winners were chosen by a panel of
Dispatch judges, who considered academic and athletic performance, school leadership,
community service and other criteria.
The Sneed honor

This award is presented on behalf of Capt. Warren B. Sneed, a 1991 Dispatch scholar-athlete
from Circleville High School who died in November 2000 in a military accident over the Sea of
Japan. The award has been presented annually since 2001.
The photography

The photos of the scholarship winners were taken at various public and private sites in
Columbus, including Bicentennial Park, the Franklin Park Conservatory, the lobby of the LeVeque
Tower and near murals in the Short North, the Grandview Heights area and the Ohio State campus.
The Dispatch thanks managers of the conservatory, the LeVeque and This 'n That on the
Avenue.

Home front: My immediate family is pretty small: my mom, Stephanie; my dad, Frederick; my
19-year-old sister, Rian; and my dog, Mozart. My extended family is huge. During holidays or family
gatherings we run out of room in our house.

Favorite subject: My favorite subject is science; I mean, where else do you get to dissect a
pig?

Least-favorite subject: Hopefully my previous teachers don’t read this, but I really dislike
social studies and history. It all seems rather boring and pointless.

How I relax: I like to separate myself from others, and just have actual silence with no
phone calls or traffic or friends talking, just quiet time with my thoughts for a couple minutes.
When I can’t get away, I do like to break out into a song and dance to calm my nerves.

Prized possession: Ooh, this one is a toughie. It would probably be my camera. I love
whipping out my camera and just taking candid (and awkward) photos. They make for the best
memories.

Favorite movie: I plead the Fifth — I am too much of a movie buff to decide. However, the
first movie that ever made me cry was
The Wizard of Oz because Dorothy couldn’t get home.

Favorite book:
Gone With the Wind. I actually read that book in fifth grade and fell in love with the
characters. I’ve read the prequel, sequel and watched the movie.

Favorite musician: Chiddy Bang. They have thoughtful lyrics, and at the same time a rhythm
that makes you want to get up and dance. Their style is completely original!

Favorite website: Facebook. I can admit I’m addicted and spend about three hours a day
checking my profile.

Favorite home-cooked meal: On my birthday I always ask my mom to make this really Southern
meal of fried chicken, rice, greens, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and cornbread. By the time I’m
done eating I actually have to loosen the button on my pants.

My cooking specialty: I don’t really cook with an oven or stove because I’m way too lazy. But
I do make an amazing peanut butter, banana and marshmallow sandwich. And before you say that’s
disgusting, try it.

Proudest sports moment: When I first read this question tons of moments flew through my head,
but there is definitely one that trumps all the others. This track season, my team became the City
League champions and in the moment when they announced we won it was like I was flying. For the
past three years we’ve come in as runner-up, so earning the title as a senior — it’s indescribable.
I paused and looked at the girls surrounding me, and thought about how much work we’d put in over
the course of the whole season and I just felt extremely blessed to call them not only my team but
part of my family. We took pictures with our trophy (I kissed it) and then did a victory lap. I’ll
never forget that, ever.

Sport I’d like to try someday: I’ve always wanted to try the gymnastics event: the uneven
bars. Unfortunately, I’m probably too clumsy to try that without doing some major damage.

Favorite athlete: Sanya Richards-Ross is hands down my favorite athlete. As a fellow
400-meter runner I am just in awe of her abilities. The fact that she runs a sub-50 400, and she
runs for the USA earns her a place in my personal hall of fame.

Inspiration: I’m not typically inspired by people; I focus more on the little things — the
smell of a brand new journal, the perfect summer day, watching a guy in a wheelchair pop a wheelie,
listening to a street musician, the stain of a popsicle on a little kid’s face, seeing an elderly
couple hold hands, climbing a tree. All those things inspire me, the little moments that a single
person can’t embody.

Person I’d most like to meet: If I could go back in time, I’d really like to just hang out
with Jesus for a day. I feel like afterward life would make a whole lot more sense. If I could meet
anyone from the present I’d have to choose Channing Tatum for pure eye-candy purposes.

Place I’d most like to travel: When I was in the process of filling out applications I used
to joke with my parents that I wasn’t going to college and instead would backpack around Europe.
Now I think that I would actually really enjoy that, visiting the less touristy parts of countries
like Serbia, Croatia and Hungary.

Least-favorite household chore: I absolutely abhor vacuuming. The vacuum is so loud you can’t
really tell if someone enters the room, so whenever I’m vacuuming I act extremely paranoid checking
over my shoulder constantly to make sure no one is sneaking up on me.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Singing. All of my old teammates will
tell you that I have the voice of a dying goat. In this one area of my life practice does not make
perfect.

What I’ll miss about high school: I’m going to miss how close-knit my school was. I got to
see the same people every day, and that won’t happen in college.

What I’m looking forward to in college: The main thing I’m excited for in college is freedom.
I get to schedule when I have classes, when I want to go out, where I’m going for lunch. I almost
imagine college as the land of milk and honey, and where the streets are paved with gold. I’m
excited to finally be in control of me.

Words to leave by: I don’t know who said this, but these aren’t my own words: “When your legs
get tired, run with your heart.”